With the draft finished and free agency almost wrapped up, the Orlando Magic roster is close to finalized. With so many young players on the roster, it is safe to say the Magic will have a lot of lineup shuffling this year.
The Magic have the potential to use more starting lineups this upcoming season than any team in the league.
This is mainly due to extended injury recovery periods for two of the Magic’s biggest foundational pieces in Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac.
Whenever Fultz and Isaac return from injury, they will likely return to their spot in the starting lineup. But in the meantime, the Magic could roll out some interesting combinations.
As with any young roster, the team will try various lineups to see what they are working with. The Magic have an overabundance of interchangeable guards leaving fans wondering, who exactly will be a staple in the starting lineup?
The Orlando Magic have a ton of young players to sort through and several players who could easily break into the starting lineup quickly for the team.
Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony or Jalen Suggs will handle the point guard responsibilities. But we do not know to what extent and what share of the primary ball-handling duties will be given to what player. Michael Carter-Williams can even be thrown into that mix — although he will miss the beginning of the season after undergoing surgery to repair ligament damage in his ankle.
At the 2-guard, Gary Harris, Terrence Ross and R.J. Hampton will vie for time. One of the young point guards could even drift over and take some minutes at shooting guard as well.
The forward positions are even messier with Chuma Okeke, Jonathan Isaac and Franz Wagner in the mix. It is tough to say if the Magic will play two traditional forwards. The likely outcome is a small-ball lineup with three guards.
Even the center position is up for grabs as Wendell Carter, Mohamed Bamba and Robin Lopez will battle for the starting gig.
All of this goes to say, the Magic have an overabundance of unproven players with high potential. We know the team needs to improve, as they were 26th in defensive rating and 29th in offensive rating last season.
On a team with a bottom-five record in the NBA, no player deserves to be locked in the starting lineup. The Magic will need to be flexible and adjust on the fly.
There is, however, some players who are in prime position to land a permanent spot in the starting five. It all comes down to opportunity and performance.
Orlando Magic starter breakthroughs: Jalen Suggs
This may be the most obvious player to break into the starting lineup. Jalen Suggs should be a starter from day one and if he plays to his potential, he will likely not relinquish this role.
Drafted at 5th overall, Suggs is a foundational player. This is what the Magic took him for.
In just three summer league games, Suggs showed the franchise that they may have struck gold.
In his biggest performance, against the Warriors, Suggs scored 24 points and added 3 blocks, 2 steals, and a few viral highlight plays.
Suggs overall stats in the summer league do not really reflect his full impact as he only played 12 minutes in the third game, but they were still impressive: 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
So far fans have been able to catch a glimpse of Suggs’ great instincts, both as a passer and on the defensive end. There is a certain energy about his play, something that the Orlando Magic have been lacking for years.
The shooting is there as well as he shot 35.7-percent from three in the summer league. If Suggs is able to knock down perimeter shots consistently, the lineup possibilities for the Magic expand even more. They could pair Jalen Suggs with either Markelle Fultz or Cole Anthony to create an interchangeable backcourt with multiple ball handlers.
At Gonzaga, Suggs operated with a second ball-handler to lean on, so this may be where he is most comfortable.
As either the primary point guard or in a secondary ball-handling role, Suggs should be a starter from the get-go. The Magic know that the key to their future lies with Suggs and they should waste no time in unlocking it.
Orlando Magic starter breakthroughs: Chuma Okeke
A starter in 19 games last season, Chuma Okeke showed he is more than capable of holding down a forward spot in the starting lineup.
With all of the offseason movement going on, I am afraid many may have forgotten about Okeke, as it is easy to get lost in the roster shuffle.
Drafted 16th overall in 2019, Okeke’s initial rise to the starting lineup was sort of a slow burn. He spent all of the 2020 season with the Lakeland Magic recovering from his ACL injury he suffered at Auburn.
In his true rookie season, Okeke struggled to get consistent minutes until the flurry of moves the Orlando Magic made last March. This opened up more opportunities and thrust Okeke into the starting lineup.
His per-game numbers were nothing crazy, but his presence was definitely felt. He averaged 7.8 points per game and shot a 49.2-percent effective field goal percentage for the season. After the trade deadline, Okeke started in all 17 games he played and averaged 12.5 points per game with a 49.2-percent effective field goal percentage.
Okeke immediately became the defensive tone-setter, with great on-ball instincts and athleticism.
Okeke is one of those players who is hard to keep off the floor. It would not be surprising if he did not start the first game this season for the Magic. But that will not last. His effect on the game to undeniable.
In order to take over a starting role and sustain it, Okeke will need to improve his offensive arsenal. He has shown the ability to known down jumpers, but there is more to be desired in terms of creation and playmaking.
Orlando Magic breakthrough starters: R.J. Hampton
Of the previously mentioned players, R.J. Hampton is the least likely to be a consistent starter this season. But that does not mean it is impossible.
Drafted 24th overall in 2020 by the Milwaukee Bucks and traded to the Denver Nuggets, Hampton found his way to the Orlando Magic as part of the Aaron Gordon trade. Looking even further back, he was a five-star prospect in high school and turned down offers from Duke, Kansas and Kentucky to play in the NBL in Australia.
No one ever doubted Hampton’s potential and talent.
After arriving in Orlando, Hampton saw his minutes increase to 25 per game. With increased minutes, Hampton showcased his open-court athleticism, shot creation, and overall instincts.
He averaged 11.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, eventually earning him the Eastern Conference rookie of the month in May.
Based on pure potential, R.J. Hampton is one of the more intriguing players on the roster. He works perfectly as a 2-guard and can be paired with just about anyone as he offers enough ball-handling to take on some of the creation responsibilities.
His improved 3-point shot that was on display at Summer League further improves his outlook for his second season.
Hampton may get lost in the guard rotation at the beginning of the season. But with the right opportunity, he could show he deserves to start.